Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-06
Gagged IN AND CRENATED
FIFEY OU MORE LIVES LOST
IN a RAILROAD CRASH.

a Broken RHil Huris Part of p Pas-
senGer Train Into An Ice-locked Gorge
Fifty Feet Eetow the R0adbed-Peo-
pie Living Near the Scene Powerless
30 Rescue the Imprls oned Passengers.
SPRINGFIELD, MASS, Feb. 5.-The
night express to Montreal, which left
here at S:l5 O'clock last nigtt, ran OF the
bridge at Woodstock, W., two miles
north OF White River Junction, and the
sleeuers and passenger cars and bridge
were entirely burned.
The tram was filled with passengers
from Boston and New York bound for the
winter carnival. The accident occurred
between | and O'Clock this morning on
The Central Vermont railroad.
The train WAS about an hour and a half
late on leaving White River junction. 1t
consisted Of a locomotive, baggage car,
postal car. two passenger coaches aud
two sleeplng cars, and was running at
the usual rate OF speed,
BROKEN RAIL.
When about 300 yards south of the end
OF the deck bridge, near Old Windsor sta
tion, broken rail was struck. The loco
motive, baggage car and postal car broke
over the bridge in safety. The rest of the
train was thrown from the rails and con-
tinued on the roadbed until it came near
the end of the bridge, but there it
ran over the abutment and all OF
the cars fell into White river,
some 80 feet below. The gorge at this
point is 1rightful, and when the cars
went down there was terrible crash.
As soon as possible the detached part of
train nj koo
the scene OF the disaster. The screams
OF the injured were heartrendlng. As
sistance also came from people living in
the vicinity, and everything was done to
rescue and relieve the injured.
FIRE BREAKS OUT.
Soon after help arrived it was discov-
cred that fire had started in the frat pas
senger coach. and soon the entire tram
was ablazz, thus adding O new horror 10
the already frigbtful catastrophe. Those
present were pOwerless to stop the fire,
and devoted themselves entirely to at
tempting to rescue those imprisoned in
the wreck. The rescuers met another
and uneXpe cted obstacle in the heat,
which bad become so intense that they
were obliged 10 relinquish their Ell
forts to save the sufferers and We're
compelled to retreat 10 place
OF safety for themselves aEd to become
unwilling aud hOrrOr-sJricken witnesses
of the awful holocaust. In addition to
this and to add to the terrors and suffer-
ings Of the passengers, the weather was
intensely cold, and the heroic rescuers
were hindered thereby IN their work. No
water could De obtained with which to
cheek or eXungulsa the flames. The ice
was several inches thick on the river,
aud there were no appliances at hand to
raise IL.
FROM THIRTY TO FIFTY LIVES LOST.
1t has not been and probably never VIII
be possible 10 tell accurately now many
lives have been lost. From the best data
oDtainable there were about eighty per-
sons in the four cars destroyed. The
lowest estimate places the probable
number Of killed at thirty, and ii is posi-
bic that twice that number may be cor
rect. A great many were
killed outright by the tremendous
tall and crush of the cars,
but several cases are known where peo.
pie unhurt or only slightly injured were
fastened in the wreck and burned TO
death. One lady and one gentleman
were rescued from sleeper. badly
bruised and almost naked, their clothing
being torn from them In hastily pulling
them out of reach of the fire. The night
was freezing cold, and but for the hospi-
talityOt farmer named Thomas Pingree,
VINO lived near tDe scene OF The accident
and who filed his house with sufferers,
many who escaped the wreck with little
Or no clothing would have frozen to deaths
Henry Tuxbury, OF West Randolph,
VT, well known lecturer, was among
those killed. Conductor Sturtevant " as
fatally burned.
Frank WessOn. son Of d. Z. Wesson OF
this city, of the firm OF Smith u Wesson,
pistol manufacturers, WAS among the
killed.
FIVE CORPSES IDENTIFIED.
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, VT, Feb. 5.
w ora was sent here Immediately after
the accident and a large force OF men, at
tended by several physicians, repaired to
the scene. The bodies Of live Of the dead
have been Identified, three of which were
not burned. On the ice below the bridge
site are 20 cGarred and unacceptable
bodies. Many more were doubtless en-
tirely cremaled. Central Vermont rail-
road officials arrived at the scene of the
disaster at an early hour, and are doing
everything possible to relieve the suffer
ers. No less than ten physicians were in
attendance on the wounded before .
O'Clock this morning. About forty persons
escaped alive, but nearly all were hurt to
some extent. The conductor OF the train
and several others are fatally wounded.
The names of twenty-seven Of the people
rescued have been obtained, all of whom
belong in New England or Canada. A
number OF others who were but slightly
injured departed for their homes on the
first train they cOuld take after being
brought TO White River Junction. Forty
deaths seems reasonable estimate, iu-
asmuch as thrty-one bodies have been re-
covered, Some must have been totally
consumed, and Others still may be il the
water under the wreck
HEARrRENDTNG SCENES.
A gentleman named Mccarthy, who
went IN the relief tram and looked over
the track says the broken rail was about
twenty rods from the bridge and thatLne
engine and the first two cars did not
leave the iron. The baggage and mail
ears being preserved intact afforded ac.
cornmodatiOns Tor part -of The wounded.
One man died soon after being carried
into the mail car. Mr.. Mccarthy saw a
man with little child in his arms on the
bank OF the river and both were dead. A
woman was lying on the snow and Kind
persons had covered her with WHIT spare
clothing they could procure. Soon
after there was sufficient helm
10 remove her to farmer PIngree's house,
She was badly hurt, but Is yet alive. As
soon as the flames had subsidized suffi.
GENTLY tho work OF recovering bodies
from the wreck was begun. Most OF the
remains are 30 charred as to De unrecop-